Expressions of Interest (EOIs) have been requested for the Managing Contractor and Principal Consultant positions on the Sunshine Coast’s $142 million Indoor Sports Centre project.
The new centre is earmarked to host Olympic basketball preliminaries during the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a minimum of 6,000 spectator seats.
The venue is located within the burgeoning Kawana Sports Precinct and will have eleven multi-sport courts and multifunctional areas that can be used daily by aspiring athletes for a range of indoor sports including basketball, netball, volleyball, pickleball, futsal and badminton before and after the games.
This new centre will create more than 480 full-time equivalent jobs across planning, design and construction.
The Federal and Queensland Governments have jointly allocated funding from the $1.87 billion Minor Venues Program for investment in the new Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre, with the Sunshine Coast Council also committing more than $25 million to fund air conditioning and permanent retractable seats in the main hall, broadcast lighting, cafe and gym floor area.
Sunshine Coast Council has said that to meet the needs of its growing population and an increasing demand for indoor court facilities in the region, it must develop a facility capable of holding community sport and staging significant sport, recreational and entertainment events.
Also located at the Kawana Sports Precinct, the upgraded Sunshine Coast Stadium is earmarked to host football preliminaries and quarter-final matches during the games, making the precinct a major community and elite sport hub.
The Queensland and Federal Governments have committed to sourcing at least 30 per cent of procurement from Queensland SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) for the Minor Venues Program, as well as targets for 10-15 per cent of all the hours on the projects to be undertaken by apprentices or trainees – helping to deliver the pipeline of construction workers the state needs.
With the EOIs for the new Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre Managing Contractor (which manages project construction) and Principal Consultant (which oversees design) now released to market, the procurement process will see shortlisting and invitations to tender in late-2024 with works expected to begin in late-2025.
This follows the EOIs released earlier in 2024 for the $148 million Sunshine Coast Stadium upgrade and $215 million new Chandler Indoor Sports Centre and Precinct Works. More than 20 expressions of interest were received from qualified and capable principal consultants and managing contractors, with shortlisting now complete and invitations to tender issued.
Queensland Premier, Steven Miles, said that he wants Queensland’s regions to benefit from the opportunity and legacy that comes with being an Olympic and Paralympic Games host.
“On the Sunshine Coast, that means better transport connectivity through a new direct rail link and upgraded local sporting venues,” Premier Miles said.
“Now, we take the next step to deliver the new $142 million Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre as EOIs go to market.
“We’ve seen how transformation similar infrastructure has been on the Gold Coast, and now the Sunshine Coast will get a turn.”
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said that the new Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre will provide the growing community with the space and facilities to participate in some of the fastest growing sports in the country.
“The Australian Government is working closely with the Queensland Government to deliver venues that reflect the needs of staging a global event like the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games while providing the best outcomes for our communities now and in the future,” Minister King said.
“We’re proud to be supporting a boost to Queensland sports stadiums and community sporting facilities, that will leave a lasting legacy for the Coast and the nation.”
Queensland Minister for State Development and Infrastructure, Grace Grace, said that this is an exciting milestone for the Sunshine Coast community.
“Indoor sports currently account for 12 of 28 Olympic sports and eleven of the 22 Paralympic sports in the games, so it’s important we allow our aspiring athletes the best opportunity to train in high-performance facilities and develop their dreams in their own backyard,” Minister Grace said.
“The new venue, along with the adjacent Sunshine Coast Stadium, will not only support the games, but create a regional and national sporting and entertainment venue to provide long-lasting legacy benefits for the community.
“We’ve achieved a huge amount since being awarded the games including establishing the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising and Legacy Committees, signed an historic $7.1 billion investment agreement with the Commonwealth and established the independent Games Venue and Legacy Delivery Authority.
“In addition to this, we have invested $100 million in our Go for Gold program for schools, and launched You for 2032, Australia’s largest ever athlete talent identification program.
“It’s just eight years to go to the 2032 Games and we’re already getting ready to deliver sports facilities that will be in community use well before then.”
Sunshine Coast Mayor, Rosanna Natoli, said that she is thrilled that the Sunshine Coast venues are first out of the blocks for Olympic infrastructure.
“These venues are set to be ready by 2027, well ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, thanks to support from the Queensland and Australian Governments,” Mayor Natoli said.
“These are first and foremost community facilities that will provide high-quality spaces for local athletes and para-athletes to train and compete, as well as host major sporting events, boosting tourism and benefiting local businesses.
“I’d also like to acknowledge and thank our current tenants, particularly the Kawana Dolphins and Sunshine Coast Falcons, for their understanding and commitment to working together to ensure their needs are met now and into the future.
“With eight years to go to Brisbane 2032, I am so pleased that we are already seeing amazing outcomes for our community, and we will continue to work very hard to maximise every opportunity afforded to the Sunshine Coast as a result of the games.”
Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee President, Andrew Liveris, said that this is another significant step forward in the delivery of tangible legacy for the Sunshine Coast, well ahead of the games in 2032.
“The Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre will be used throughout the games, but importantly, it will be used by local communities right across the coast and further afield, providing increased opportunities for athletes of all ages and abilities to participate in sport,” Ms Liveris said.
“I look forward to following progress and I thank all Games Delivery Partners involved for getting on with the job and supporting the delivery of needed infrastructure for a fast-growing region in south-east Queensland.”
Image: Andrew Angelov/shutterstock.com
